Current Loves - The First Edition

The products that have been tickling my fancy so far this January with a book thrown in for good measure... 

Last year I featured a 'current favourites series' on my blog for a few months where I wrote about products, clothes, food etc. that I had been loving at the time, a monthly favourites type of thing just not necessarily at the end of each month, this year I hope to make this type of favourites posts a regular feature on my blog, I love reading what other peoples favourite items are so here are mine...

First up is an old favourite just in a lovely new bottle as I had run out of my first one, Chanel's Chance Eau Fraiche is such a gorgeous scent, it's light, fresh and feminine without being overpowering. Next up is The Body Shop's Hemp Hand Protector, this is a must have in the winter months for me, the cold weather can really take its toll on my skin and nothing comes to the rescue better than this rich hand cream. Packed with Community Fair Trade Hemp Seed Oil this hand cream is super heavy duty, it even heals cracked sore skin so definitely one I recommend if you are outdoors a lot.

Another Body Shop favourite is the Camomile Waterproof Eye Make Up Remover, this oil and water combination is perfect for removing stubborn mascara and matt lipstick, I just shake the bottle to activate to formula and apply to the skin using a cotton pad, it lifts away make up effortlessly without having to spend ages tugging away at the lashes.

Soap and Glory's Calm One, Calm All Bubble Bath has been keeping my baths nice and relaxing with subtle girly aroma and moisturising bubbles, the formula is enriched with lemon balm and mallow extracts meaning if your feeling super lazy you can skip the moisturiser and fall straight into bed, which is what you will want to do after using this - this stuff is seriously relaxing!

My final favourite is one I literally struggle to put down, Lena Dunham's Not That Kinda Girl is such a hilariously honest account of Lena's journey into becoming a woman, she is so relatable, as a reader you feel as though she is willing to share anything with you no matter how dark or embarrassing that might be, I especially loved her food diary entries. Definitely recommend checking this book out if you're a Girls fan.

So that's my most recently loved products so far this year, what are some of yours? Leave your blog links below.

Disclaimer: Although I work for The Body Shop this in no way effects my opinion.

Skin Prep - The Edit

Disclaimer: Although I work for The Body Shop this in no way effects my opinion

Once a week I like to treat my skin to a good scrub, exfoliating helps to improve circulation and remove dead skin cells as well as the remnants of the weeks fake tan, here are a few of my favourite products I use to prep my skin...

Pulp Friction by Soap and Glory is an in the shower exfoliator, it is incredibly foamy so lathers up really well, this is packed with fruity ingredients like frozen yuzu, orange oil, green fig and jungle pomelo essence which combine to give a gorgeous zesty fragrance, it also contains peppermint oil and lemonade tree liquid which give a fresh feel, I like to use this with exfoliating gloves to get the most out of the product. After applying this to damp skin I rinse off to reveal baby soft tan free limbs!

Another Soap and Glory product I like to treat my skin to is the Smoothie Star Breakfast Scrub, now the smell of this is literally good enough to eat, the ingredients list which contains a combination of oats, shea butter, sugar, bananas, almond and honey extracts sounds like a recipe for a cake, and all combined give this scrub a heavenly maple syrup scent. The sugar gives the scrub an abrasive texture which gently lifts away dead skin cells, like Pulp Friction I use this scrub in the shower on wet skin and scoop the product out of the tub and apply in circular motions and then rinse.

After all that exfoliating my skin is in need of a little hydration, lately I have been loving The Body Shop's Wild Argan Oil range, the body butter provides 24 hour hydration so is perfect for applying before bedtime, the texture is rich and the smell is luxurious. I apply this all over the body paying particular attention to dry areas such as elbows, knees and heels.

What is your skin prep routine? I would love to know your go to products.

Brows - Soap & Glory Archery

Whether you are going for the big, bold Lily Collin's esque brows or for a more natural look I have just the product for you...

After years of being devoted to my loyal HD Brows palate I have finally been converted to a non powder formula, enter Soap and Glory's Archery - a double ended eyebrow duo. On one end we have a brow tint, on the other a precision shaping pencil, here's the low down: Lets start with achieving the basic shape, for this I use the pencil, a subtle, soft rounded pencil, this is great for filling in where your natural brows may be slightly lacking, The pencil doesn't drag, it applies nicely without creating harsh lines. Next I use the brow tint, this felt tip style applicator is perfect for creating hair like fines lines, making the brows look nice and full. This is by far my favourite way to shape my eyebrows, the tip of the brow tint is fine allowing you to be precise at the same time as keeping things looking natural. I have the shade 'Brownie Points' - a true brunette shade, not too warm in tone.

We all know how important eyebrows are, they really do frame the face... treat your brows to Soap and Glory's Archery on your next trip to Boots.

Soap & Glory Youth Face Wash

Looking for a perfect make up removal and facial cleanse all in one? Look no further than Soap and Glory's Youth Face Wash with exfoliating microbeads...

I have to admit I am not normally one for using a face wash, I am more of a cleanse and tone kinda gal. I always associate face washes with dry, stripped skin. Face washes usually leave my skin feeling tight and in need of a good moisturiser so I was a little skeptical when trying Soap and Glory's The Daily Youth Foaming Face Wash. I picked this up on a whim in Boots one afternoon, I am a big fan of the Soap and Glory skincare range, the masks in particular so I thought a face wash was worth trying, and I am really glad I did. This is perfect for those moments when you need an instant skin cleanse, it removes most of my make up with ease and really makes the skin feel fresh and clean, my favourite thing about this beauty is that my skin feels plump and moisturized afterwards. The scent of this is lovely, its ingredients include peach, go juice and guarana and also has those lovely melt in mircobeads that smooth and gently exfoliate the skin.

If you don't have time for the usual steps in your skincare routine and are looking for a quick fix then I really recommend this product, use this with a micellar cleansing water to remove mascara and follow up with a moisturiser like the Una Brennan Super Facialist Daily Moisturiser and you've got yourself a mini facial routine with minimal effort. Think this will be my go to cleanser for on the go! 

What is your must have skincare product at the moment? Share in the comments box below!

Creating a Flawless Base

A step by step guide on creating that flawless base...

It's a common problem when it comes to perfecting a flawless make up look, you find the perfect shade foundation, the right coverage etc but it just doesn't last ... fast forward a few hours and your on a night out starring at a pasty, flaky, patchy complexion and yes that is your reflection in the mirror of the ladies loos. How do we get our make up to last a little longer? I have a few essential products that are just the trick.

Step one: Prime! If you want your foundation to last then it is really important to prime! This key layer gives your foundation something to cling to, red skin? oily? dry? No worries, primers come in all sorts of types, so you can correct any flaws before you even start on foundation, you may even find you wear less, hello natural! My favourite primer is Revlon Skin Lights in Bare Light, this is tinted and gives the skin a radiant feel without making me super shiny.

Step two: Foundation, choose a foundation that works for your skin type, I prefer to go a little more full coverage when it comes to an evening on the town, my current go to is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk in shade 6, this baby doesn't budge, is sweat proof (we have all had a crazy moment on the dance floor) and doesn't contain SPF making it great for flash photos.

Step three: Highlight and contour! Bronzer is the secret weapon of woman without cheekbones, if like me your not blessed with amazing bone structure - fake it! A matte bronzer or one with minimal shimmer like Nars Laguna can create cheekbones to die for all with the help of an angled brush. Not a bronzer fan? Try applying your blush on top of your cheekbones instead of the apples of the cheeks, it is way more flattering, I have been loving Daniel Sandler Watercolour Fluid Blush in So Pretty, it is a gorgeous natural flushed shade, truly living up to its name!

Step four: Powder! A step I used to skip, but after discovering Soap and Glory's One Heck of a Blot, a super translucent setting powder, it is now the most important step in my routine. Use this one the T-zone to keep shine at bay and keep foundation in place.

What are your essentials for a night out? Any tips on how to make your make up last? Comment below!

Keep on Scrubbin'

Exfoliation is the key to a glowing, radiant complexion. I like to use a good exfloliator on my body at least once a week to remove dead skin cells and renew my skin. But when it comes to my beauty routine exfoliation is a step I am always skipping, through sheer laziness of course, I mean there are so many amazing facial scrubs on the market, two of my favourites are from the wonderful brand Soap and Glory. 'Scrub Your Nose In It' is a scrub specially formulated to make pores appear smaller and prevent blemishes, it really brightens up the skins complexion, this is also marketed as a scrub/mask duo and it is recommended that you apply this and leave it on for two minutes allowing enough time for it to work its magic. The second scrub is the 'Greatest Scrub Of All' this one is for all skin types and it is great for un-clogging your pores after a week of wearing make up everyday, this is my favourite of the two, as with all Soap and Glory products these both smell amazing. I know they have recently re-packaged alot of their skincare range but I think they have kept the names all the same.

What are your thoughts on the new packaging?

Sugar Crush - Soap and Glory

Buying your body wash isn't exactly the most exciting purchase you will make this week let's face it but it is an essential. I never give much thought to which body wash to pick but whilst scamming the aisles of boots the other day I couldn't resist smelling every Soap and Glory product on the shelf, the Sugar Crush Fresh and Foamy body wash was just calling to me so of course I made my purchase fast before I was persuaded to buy anything else.

First of all this smells really really good, like good enough to eat, it definitely lives on the 'this is not allowed for nosy husbands shelf ' in the bathroom. It is just too good to share, the scent is really awakening so it is a great product for your morning shower, it contains lime oil and omega rich veggie oil making it really moisturising. Soap and Glory have a whole range of  Sugar Crush products including an amazing body scrub, next purchase maybe?

Maybe body wash isn't so boring after all...